Molded pulp article



Nov 12, 1935-. s. BISBEE El AL 2,020,454

MOLDED PULP ARTICLE Filed Oct. 18, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 luvew rpns JpauldizzgB'rsbee iValIaceEParsnns fl'ilIiauzMJ/mfi'dd BY Arrqk -Y Nov. 12, 1935. s. BISBEE ET AL MOLDED PULP ARTICLE Filed Oct. 18, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J Iuvzurarrs 'ngBz'sbee Patented Nov. 12, 1935',

UNITED s'rf n-is PATENT QFFICEI a monm in runr Annual:

.fipaulding nabee, Portland: and Wallace 2. Par- 80M,Waterville, Maine, and William M. Sheffield, New York,'N. Y assignors, by means assignments, to The Canai'Nationai Bank of Portland, Portland, Maine, a national banking association, trustee Application center is, 1930, Serial 120.489.568

10mm. (01. 211-2 1 I This invention relates to shipping packs or pack members. and particularly for fragile articles of generally cylindric or extended axes shape.

In the packing of fragile articles. such as bottles, jars and like containers which in, many instances contain fluids and are heavy, it is customary to use cases or crates divided into sections J in each of which is placed a single bottle or jar. These cases must be of s'ufflcient, strength to withstand handling and in case of fragile articles each section must be provided with some cushioning means to prevent the article therein a shipment of bottled goods must necessarily be strong and heavy and are usually too expensive 'tobetln'ownaway afteruseandsohavetobereturnedforfurtheruse. The concept of this invention is a packing member for bo ties, jars and other fragile articles of similar us. which will form a resilient packing which may be used with any. inexpensive box or case and which when removed can bedelivered units are to a considerable degree thermal'ly insulated. also enable the use of inexpensive. -packing crates so thatit will not be necessary to remrn these for re-use; although preferably the crates are of standard dimension.

as illustrative of the invention herein in- I volved, simple embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings. .In these:

Fig. 1 shows a bottle enclosed in a moulded 9 pulp casing for protection. g "Fig. 2 is a plan view of'a three-pocket container.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the container partly in section; 45 Fig. 4 illustrates a modification of the structure'of Fig. 1. Fig: 5 indicates such a member as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, b fore it is folded together, and

Fig. 6 illustratesa similar'packing where th 50 bottles are alternatively reversed. -r In the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8 there ar provided pairs of packing members which are preferably of identical construction and preferably moulded as a single sheet-like member. 55 These are Indicated generally at i and 2 and ticles which are usually of generally cylindrical type but having differences in diameter and more preferably as shown in Fig. 3 provided with a fold line or crease 3 so that one member can be bent over'onto the other.

Each of the membersor areas I and 21s provided with a series of contourings l which when 5 brought in registry witheach other form the chambers ii in which..the articles, such as the bottles" shown, are lodged. The contourings 4 are made to conform generally tothe article. In

(the case of a bottle the neck portion 4 is so con- 10 toured as to enclose the neck and as the article is preferably moulded from wet laid fibre has such resiliency as frictionally to engage the bottle .and yieldingly support it in the pack.

Between the contoured portions 4 and Marc lateral 'webs 6 which connect and support the contoured portions and provide for contact bearings between the superimposed portions of the member. 'I'heseareasim'ayalsobeusedforthe stapling or like fastening of the members" or member portions, such stapling being indicated at I. Where it is desired to seal the pack'against tampering, oneor more of the staples I may becoveredbyadiscofpaperorotherseahas indicated at 8. A

I The contouring; l and 4 preferably estend'to the edges-of the member but are taperedtat one j or both ends as indicated at! to provide a rewith their contents as units directly to thecus-. tomer; Furthermore,as'willbepointed outtbese siiient bearing against which end thrust tendenalso constitute bearing or contact portions or abutments so that when a plurality of these units are packed ina case, endwlse movement of the units is prevented. The open .ends at the bottle neck also expose the caps or closures for inspec-f tion. Unitsof any size or number of compartments may be employed. r r .As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the unit is'a triple pack v holding three bottles so that the customer-may be served with one or more quarter dozen units with- 40 out having to handle the individual bottles.

- In Fig. 4 the contouring is shown as 'formed with ribs or corrugations ill to further increase the resiliency and friction bearing of the receiving concavities. These ribs or corrugations may be variously disposedjbut they are preferably integrally' mouldedin the packing member itself. Such members may be coveniently wet moulded by deposit on suction dies, preferably on dies of laminated construction in which drainage is provided between thelaminae. Dies of this type form an important basisin the construction of these members which are intended to receive aror less taper. By the use of laminated dies the contourings may be of full depth without weakening the die and a thick uniform deposit of free laid fibre maybe formed thereon. This character 5 of the fibre depositis important as it is resilient and cushions the fragile containers. Also, it has an insulating characteristic.

The members are preferably made flat as shown in Fig. 5 and as before described folded on the groove or line of weakening indicated at 3 so that the area I overlies the area 2. This view is diagrammatic and not detail. Members so formed in the flat are made with 'sufilcient draft so that they can be nested and packed for shipment to the bottling works or other consumers for which they are intended. When so packed they take up very little room in shipment and in storage and afford a basis of great economy over previous packs or methods of packing; x h The article receiving concavities may be ar- "ranged as shown in Fig. 2 or may be alternately reversed as shown in Fig. 6. In that figure contourings H are shown as adapted to receive bottles which are closelypo's'itioned by taking ad- 5 vantage of their taper.

shown as connected by webs I I, the median web being preferably provided with a fold line [I and the units being preferably tapered as before as at I 3 and sealed if so desired. 1

.30 The receiving concavities may be made to fit the articles snugly or grip them only at certain zones as at the bottom or base of the necks or at additional zones by corrugations or projections which tend yieldingly to support the articles. 'These corrugations may also provide external bearings" These ribs -or annular corrugations also provide for a slight longitudinal elasticity so that a tight fitlat the bottom of the bottle or the base of the In this form they are cussed are to be understood as such and not to be taken as by way of limitation.

What we therefore claim and desire to secure 15 by Letters Patent is:

A protective-pack for elongated articles of generally cylindric shape and extended axes. consisting of a sheet of fibrous material havinu spaced depressions formed therein, the sheet forming by 0 means ,of said depressions a plurality of contiguousopen-topped article receiving cavities and said cavities being spaced from each other by means of interveningwebs, said webs constituting in part the wa ls of said cavities and defining 5- with each other article entrance spaces through which an article is inserted from above, said webs having a yielding lateral deformability to the insertion of such article there past into the cavity depression and snugly gripping and retaining the 30 inserted article against, relative movement within the cavityysaid cavities adapted to register with similarly formed cavitiesin a complemental sheet when such complemental sheet is reversed and placed thereov'er and said sheet being provided 3 exterio'rly thereof with one or more his low ribs which extend transversely of the cavities and contribute ie the yieldability of the same.

SPAULDING BISBEE. I 1 40 WALLACE E. PARSONS. WILLIAM M, nor m J, 

